Combination can punch and handle



Jan. 17, 1967 w. J. MITCHELL 3,298,099

COMBINATION CAN PUNCH AND HANDLE Filed Jan. 21, 1965 INVENTOR WILLIAMEPI. MITCHELL & I 1

w 4% ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,298,099 COMBINATION CAN PUNCH ANDHANDLE William J. Mitchell, 2010 Duthie Ave., Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada Filed Jan. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 426,727 4 Claims. (Cl. 30-16) Thisinvention relates to a combination punch and handle designed to open andhold cans which contain beverages, such as beer or the like.

In the pouring of or direct consumption of a chilled beverage from acan, it is normal to employ a perforating tool by means of which the topof a beverage can can be punctured to permit the escape of the beveragetherefrom. The cans which are likewise chilled make it desirable thatthey be provided with a handle in order that the fingers do not come incontact with the walls of the can. Accordingly, it is the object of thisinvention to provide a combination opener or punch and handle which maybe utilized to first punch the top of the can and, which in its punchingoperation, is so firmly secured to the can that it may be used as ahandle.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a combination canpunch and handle which may be manufactured very cheaply from a singlestrip of metal.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination canpunch and handle which does not extend below the bottom of the can inorder that the latter is entirely stable when placed upon a flatsurface, such as a table.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the can punch and handle in its operativeposition,

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the punch and handle, showing the method ofoperation thereof,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective front view of an alternative embodiment of thepunch, and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4,illustrating yet another embodiment of the punch.

Referring to the drawings the type of can, herein accorded the numeral10, with which the punch and opener is to be employed, is of a familiartype having a side wall 12 and a head 14 united at their juncture by anoutwardly extending bead 16.

The punch and handle device is formed of an elongated one piece strap 17composed of a rigid material, such as steel, and bent into a U shape atsubstantially its middle length to form a pair of parallel legs 19 and20. A triangularly shaped elongated pointed tongue 23 is stamped out ofleg 19 said tongue having a flat elongated undersurface 24 extending inthe plane of the leg 19 from the base 26 of the tongue almost to the tip27 of the latter, the tip being bent slightly outwardly out of the planeof the undersurface 24.

Extending adjacent the base 26 of the tongue the leg 19 is formed havinga short sharp arcuate bend as at 30 to space the lower portion 31 ofsaid leg inwardly of the undersurface 24 of said tongue, but parallelthereto, the space between said lower portion 31 and said undersurface24 being sufiicient to accommodate the width of the bead 16 of the can.The side edges of the lower portion 31 of the leg 19 are turnedoutwardly to form a pair of longitudinally extending ribs 32 and 33spaced apart from each other and spaced from their adjacent sides of thetongue, the upper ends 34 and 35 respectively of said ribs being spacedto form abutment surfaces and terminating at the bend 30, and theirouter longitudinal edges 37 and 38 respectively lying in the plane ofthe undersurface 24 of said tongue. Upper end 34, at its juncture withits abutment surface, forms a sharp corner 34a while the corner 35aformed at the juncture of upper end 35 and its abutment surface isrounded.

In order to use the apparatus to punch a can, the punch ends of one ofthe side ribs, for instance corner 34a, is positioned beneath the head16 on the outer surface of the side wall 12 and with the tip 27 of thetongue resting against the head 14 of the can. In this position, it willbe seen that the leg 20 which, it is intended shall serve as the handle,extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the can. This positionof the opener to the can is shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

The leg 20 is then rotated in the direction as shown by the arrowdownwardly to an upright position. The sharp corner 34a of rib 32 duringthe rotatable movement of the leg 20, serves as a fulcrum about whichsaid leg is rotated, thereby swinging the tongue downwardly into the canadjacent the inner surface of the side wall thereof and puncturing thehead. At the same time, the rib 33 is swung downwardly over the outsideof the bead and the outer surface of the side wall 12 until its upperend 35 also rests below the bead 16.

In this position it will be seen that With the ribs 32 and 33 pressingagainst the outer surface of the side wall 12, and with the tonguepressing against the inner surface thereof, the opener will sufficientlygrip said side wall that the handle may not be rotated outwardly awaytherefrom. It will also be observed that the can may not slip downwardlyout of the grip of the rib and the tongue as the upper edges 34 and 35of said ribs will enage the bead 16. The release of the opener isfacilitated, when it is rotated in the opposite direction, by therounded corner 35a.

FIGURE 4 illustrates another embodiment 50 of the punch. In embodiment50, the tongue 52 thereof which corresponds to tongue 23, is arcuatelyshaped as a scimitar, having one edge 53 thereof sharpened so that itmay easily slice the head 14 of the can to which it may be applied.

FIGURE 5 illustrates another embodiment 60 of the punch. In embodiment60, the tongue 62 which may be shaped in the form of tongue 52 or tongue23, is provided with a raised rib 64 on its undersurface and extendingfrom the base of said tongue to its tip. This rib tightly engages theinner surface of the side wall of the can when the punch is used to openthe can, the operation being hereinbefore described, and slightlydeforms said side wall. The normal resiliency of the material thereforeenhances the grip of the punch on the side wall and reduces any tendencythat the punch may have for tipping inwardly when it is used as ahandle.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A combined can punch and handle comprising a U-shaped strip ofmaterial forming a pair of spaced parallel legs and having an elongatedpointed tongue depending from the base of one leg, said tongue beingadapted to pierce the head of a can and to extend downwardly adjacentthe interior surface of the side wall of the can, a pair of parallelelongated rib elements formed on said one leg extending parallel to andspaced apart on either side of the tongue and being adapted, when thetongue is inserted into the can, to press against the outer surface ofthe cans side wall, and abutment surfaces at the upper ends of the ribelements arranged to bear against the underside of the top bead of thecan so as to grip the latter, thereby permitting the other leg of theU-shaped strip to serve as a handle.

2. A combined can punch and handle as claimed in claim 1 including araised rib extending longitudinally 3 of the tongue adapted, When thetongue is positioned so as to extend into the can, to press upon theinterior surface of the side Wall of the latter.

3. A combined can punch and handle comprising a U-shaped strip of rigidmaterial forming a pair of spaced parallel legs and having an elongatedpointed tongue depending from the base of one leg, said tongue beingshaped and positioned to pierce the head of a can and to extenddownwardly adjacent the interior surface of the side Wall of the can andhaving one side edge formed as a cutting edge, a pair of parallelelongated rib elements formed on said one leg extending parallel to andspaced apart on either side of the tongue and being adapted, when thetongue is inserted into the can, to press against the outer surface ofthe side Wall of the can, and abut- 15 rnent surfaces at the upper endsof the rib elements arranged to bear against the underside of the topbead of the can so as to grip the latter, thereby permitting the otherleg of the U-shaped strip to serve as a handle.

4. A combined can punch and handle as claimed in claim 3 in which saidone side edge is arcuately shaped.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,103 12/1935Haudenschild 30-63 2,317,541 4/1943 Leck 30-16 2,583,565 1/1952 Hallocket a1. 30-22 2,712,177 7/1955 Bauer 30-63 X 2,902,310 9/1959 Berce 30-16X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COMBINED CAN PUNCH AND HANDLE COMPRISING A U-SHAPED STRIP OFMATERIAL FORMING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL LEGS AND HAVING AN ELONGATEDPOINTED TONGUE DEPENDING FROM THE BASE OF ONE LEG, SAID TONGUE BEINGADAPTED TO PIERCE THE HEAD OF A CAN AND TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY ADJACENTTHE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALL OF THE CAN, A PAIR OF PARALLELELONGATED RIB ELEMENTS FORMED ON SAID ONE LEG EXTENDING PARALLEL TO ANDSPACED APART ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TONGUE AND BEING ADAPTED, WHEN THETONGUE IS INSERTED INTO THE CAN, TO PRESS AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OFTHE CAN''S SIDE WALL, AND ABUTMENT SURFACES AT THE UPPER ENDS OF THE RIBELEMENTS ARRANGED TO BEAR AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TOP BEAD OF THECAN SO AS TO GRIP THE LATTER, THEREBY PERMITTING THE OTHER LEG OF THEU-SHAPED STRIP TO SERVE AS A HANDLE.